Various types of fibers can often tangle easily and be difficult to untangle without damaging the fibers. This is particularly common in haircare, where curly or dry hair can tangle easily. Many detangling options that do exist are either ineffective or have significant tradeoffs.
One such option is a comb or hair pick, which is a rigid, flat comb that has inflexible, widely spaced in-line teeth. When used to detangle fibers such as hair, the hair pick typically further compacts the tangle, which often and results in the person combing the hair using so much force that the hair breaks and/or frays and the tangle tears out.
Another such option a brush-like detangler, which has thin, brush-like bristles (e.g., extruded) that are arranged in a conventional array (uniform pattern and spacing, with shorter bristles) and merely tug and pull fibers, but are not substantial enough to work through a tangled bunch of fibers and are overly time consuming to use. Further, with frequent use, these types of bristles tend to deform, thus rendering them even more ineffective.
Some solutions use chemicals to detangle and relax hair. However, the chemicals used can carry a toxic smell and be harsh on the fibers and skin that are subject to treatment. This can result in dry hair and skin irritation among other adverse effects. Some less aggressive, purported nature or organic treatments can be less effective, particularly on larger, more aggressive tangles, and can be too time consuming to use regularly.